Bitch Media - mediahttp://bitchmagazine.org/taxonomy/term/6171/0
enMore than Original: a Q & A with the men behind ORIGINAL PLUMBINGhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/a-q-a-with-the-men-behind-original-plumbing
<p><center><img alt="Amos Mac and Rocco K smile at the camera. Amos reaches around Rocco's neck to playfully straighten his bow-tie." src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4205688366_0207fd43d6.jpg" /><br /><i>Amos Mac and Rocco K</i></center></p>
<p><a href="http://www.originalplumbing.com/Home.html">Original Plumbing,</a> a new magazine published and distributed out of San Francisco, is a fresh new publication dedicated to FTM sexuality and culture. Made for trans men by trans men, its first issue (<a href="http://www.originalplumbing.com/Issues.html">"The Bedroom Issue"</a>) came out in October and features voices from five rooms and a couple different continents, with content ranging from interviews to fiction to a detailed summary of how Germany's health care system helps transitioning. They're off to a great start, and I asked editor-in-chief/photographer Amos Mac and assistant editor Rocco Kayiatos (who raps as <a href="http://www.katastropherap.com/">Katastrophe</a>) a few questions about future plans for ORIGINAL PLUMBING.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.originalplumbing.com/Home.html"><center><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/4205688360_fac2cc5b1d_o.jpg" /></center></a></p>
<p><b>You mentioned it briefly in the introduction to ORIGINAL PLUMBING, but what made you want to start your own publication for trans men? And how did the project get off the ground? </b></p>
<p><i>Amos </i>: Originally I wanted a space to showcase photographs I had been taking of diverse guys in the trans male community. It bugged me that there was nothing out there that you could really grab onto culturally for FTMs, plus I was sick of what was out there representing the FTM community in the media. Everything was so two-dimensional! When I started to work on ORIGINAL PLUMBING I was going to make it a small photocopied zine with interviews of the models because when I'm shooting someone I usually end up interviewing them at the same time as a way for both me and the model to feel more comfortable (when people talk about themselves they tend to relax a little and that's always good for the camera), so I loved the idea of adding an interview aspect to the photo spreads. </p>
<p>When word spread online that a trans male zine was being made, guys from all over the world began writing to me asking if they could submit stories and articles. I liked the idea of people sharing their experiences in the zine, so from that point on it felt bigger than me and I knew I had to go with it and make it happen. </p>
<p>I've had an obsession with magazines that started at a very young age, with teen heart-throb mags from the 80s and 90s like TEEN BEAT and BIG BOPPER, and especially early SASSY magazine that started when my mom got me a subscription at the age of 11 back in 1991. To this day my teen magazine obsession remains but also includes the appreciation for magazines like <a href="http://buttmagazine.com/">BUTT</a> and other photo-heavy Amsterdam-born periodicals. I think you can see my inspiration from all of those magazines on the pages of OP.</p>
<p><b>Do you find it difficult or easy to toe the line between sexuality and culture? </b></p>
<p><i>Amos </i>: OP is dedicated to documenting the diversity within trans male culture, and I feel that sexuality plays a big part in what makes us diverse. I don't find it difficult to tow the line between the two. They're two of my favorite subjects.</p>
<p><i>Rocco</i> : I don't think its difficult at all, they're two separate things to me. Although there's a culture of sexuality, sex and culture are different things. There's definitely overlap between the two but sexuality is just one aspect of culture and I think because the first issue was "The Bedroom Issue," it was far more focused on sexuality than future issues will be. In queer communities, we often find our community because of our sexualities, but as a result we also create a rich and separate culture from the mainstream. So it's inevitable that within a trans male community sexuality is woven into our culture.</p>
<p><b>Now that you have one issue out, are you doing anything different for Issue #2? And when will it be available?</b></p>
<p><i>Amos </i>: Issue 2 will be out by the end of January. After putting out the first issue we were able to look at what we liked and what we wanted to expand on. Longer interviews, more voices, and realizing what works for ongoing columns. Also, I've realized the importance of staying true to my original vision and I'm grateful to have a partner in the magazine (Rocco) who shares that vision with me, as well as the particular aesthetic.</p>
<p><b>You just <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNqhGqvgJh8">released a YouTube teaser</a> for something called OP TV. Can you tell me more about it or how OP is going multimedia?</b></p>
<p><i>Rocco </i>: With the onset of new media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc) we're in a unique position to be able to allow people access to the creation of the magazine with showing behind the scenes at photo shoots and interviews. With OP TV it is our hope that we don't just get to showcase the community, but we also get to build a visible multimedia representation of this community.</p>
<p><b>Do you see the landscape of trans men in media changing? Either in representation or in materials produced for them?</b></p>
<p><i>Rocco</i> : I think that once you open the floodgates for something like this that people see that there is a viable consumer market that has been completely neglected. So yes, I think that as a result of having one piece of media, that people will follow suit and that there will be more and more media.</p>
<p><b>Where do you see OP in two years? Five years?</b></p>
<p><i>Rocco</i> : In two years I see calenders, an updated website that includes a regular blog and vlog, and maybe even has a "personals" aspect to it. I see a huge multimedia presence for the trans masculine community worldwide.</p>
<p><i>Amos</i> : I want to try to get the OP calender out in one year, in time for 2011-- "12 months, 12 beautiful trans guys"! But two years from now? OP will be stocked in bookstores in every state and our website will give our readers more information, more stories, out-take interviews, guest blogs, and a steady line of online OP TV episodes.</p>
<p><i>Rocco</i> : In five years I see a readership of 10,000 and Amos and I doing regular tours across the country.</p>
<p><i>Amos</i> : I see the ability to photograph and report on trans culture internationally within five years, and the magazine still going strong. Also, the release of the "First Five Years of Original Plumbing" coffetable book. </p>
<p><center>------</center></p>
<p>The first issue of OP is in its last print run, so if you want it you better hurry! But like Amos said, Issue #2 ("The Hair Issue") will be out by the end of January. If you can't <a href="http://www.originalplumbing.com/Find.html">find a copy locally,</a> fear not, you can <a href="http://www.originalplumbing.com/Buy_Now.html">subscribe online </a>(and if it's anything like another independent magazine I know of, it probably supports them more if you order it from them directly!) Here's hoping that we'll be giving and receiving that coffeetable book for the holidays in five years! </p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/a-q-a-with-the-men-behind-original-plumbing#commentsindependent magazinesmagazinesmediaORIGINAL PLUMBINGtrans identitytrans mentransgenderSocial CommentaryTue, 22 Dec 2009 21:04:57 +0000Kjerstin Johnson2661 at http://bitchmagazine.orgIllinois Man Pleads Guilty to Stalking ESPN's Erin Andrewshttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/illinois-man-pleads-guilty-to-stalking-espns-erin-andrews
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<p> <img src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/12/16/alg_erin_andrews.jpg" alt="ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, with her attorney Marshall Grossman, after facing her convicted stalker Michael Barrett for the first time." title="ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, with her attorney Marshall Grossman, broke down in tears after facing her convicted stalker Michael Barrett for the first time." height="325" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="439" align="left" /></p>
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<p>In some ways, the news is anti-climactic: Michael David Barrett, an insurance executive of Illinois, pled guilty yesterday to the interstate stalking of ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews. </p>
<p>More specifically, Barrett admitted to buying information about Andrews over the internet; traveling to follow Andrews; staying in three hotel rooms next to hers (the hotels told him which room was hers); twice filming videos of Andrews while she was naked through the door's peephole; posting those videos online; and trying to sell the videos to TMZ.</p>
<p>It's just another chapter in <a href="http://community.feministing.com/2009/07/the-long-history-of-objectifyi.html" rel="nofollow">the long, long story of the objectification of Erin Andrews.</a></p>
<p><img src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/more/12/15/andrews.video.ap/michael-barrett.jpg" alt="michael-barrett.jpg" height="325" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="300" align="right" border="0" />But what stands out about yesterday's hearing is that for once, it gave the 31-year-old sportscaster the chance to speak for herself -- and what it is like for her to pursue a job she loves while navigating fierce misogyny and harassment. What follows is a collection of her statements at the hearing, gathered primarily from <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/more/12/15/andrews.video.ap/index.html" rel="nofollow"><i>Sports Illustrated</i></a> and<a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/espns-erin-andrews-attorney-hotel-security-lax-guests/story?id=9349351" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> ABC News.</a></p>
<blockquote><p>&quot;His actions have had a devastating impact on me and my family.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p> &quot;I don't know him. I haven't met him. I hope he never sees the light of day.&quot;</p>
<p>(Andrews) said she plans to advocate for changes in the hotel industry that will protect female travelers. She also said she was appalled to learn that hotels gave out information about where she was staying, adding that she still calls hotels to see if they'll acknowledge she's a guest. They often do, she said.</p>
<p>&quot;I have a responsibility to other women,&quot; Andrews said. &quot;If I back down or shy away, what kind of message does that send to other women and other guys who may be doing this?&quot;</p>
<p>She lamented that the videos remain online and can never be scrubbed from the Internet. She spoke candidly to the judge and reporters after the hearing about being &quot;a little paranoid&quot; when she checks into a hotel. She said she sometimes imagines she sees Barrett and has nightmares.</p>
<p>&quot;I live in hotels because of my job, and every time I check in, I look around, constantly thinking he is there,&quot; she said.</p>
<p>&quot;I have nightmares. I walk in crowds and I see him in my peripheral vision. When I'm alone in my house, I have fears he's going to come in and hurt me... My career has been ripped apart, something I've worked very hard for. I am subjected to crude comments, suggestions that I have partnered in this crime. I walk into stadiums, and fans say obscene things to me.&quot;</p>
<p>Andrews said she didn't consider leaving her job at ESPN. &quot;I do what I love,&quot; she said after the hearing. &quot;It was time for college football to begin.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p>&quot;I didn't do anything wrong. If I can make a difference for more women, that's what I want to do.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p>&quot;I want him to stay in jail as long as possible. &quot;He's a threat to women everywhere. I feel like it was my duty to come here and tell this judge what he has done to me, because I don't want another family to be ripped apart by this. I don't want somebody else's career to be ruined by this.&quot; </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Barrett is free pending his sentencing on February 22. He and his attorney filed a plea deal last week that agreed to a 27-month prison sentence, though the judge wil decide the ultimate time, as well as any fines and restitution that he will pay Andrews. Andrews and her attorney do not agree with the plea deal sentencing, and will address the court again before the final judgment comes down. </p>
<p>After the hearing, Barrett released a statement through his attorney that apologized to Andrews -- but this may only be the beginning. Andrews' attorney was on &quot;Good Morning America&quot; this morning and he made <a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/espns-erin-andrews-attorney-hotel-security-lax-guests/story?id=9349351" rel="nofollow">this chilling statement:</a></p>
<blockquote><p>&quot;We have credible, determined evidence that Mr . Barrett did the same thing, not just with Erin, not just with a few others, but with 17 other women. Most of the rest of them have no idea their images were taken.&quot; </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Unfortunately, Andrews' case is only one example of the abhorrent treatment of female sportscasters. As both a feminist and sports fan, the &quot;sidelining&quot; of female reporters has long been a pet rant of mine. Especially for high-profile sports, it's the guys who sit in the booth doing the play-by-play, presumably because their voices have 'authority' in the game. Guys also populate the studio, arguing about their game-day predictions. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, female sportscasters are running around on the field, interviewing coaches and players between quarters, presumably because viewers will get to admire their attractiveness while they ask other people about their opinions, rather than offering their own point-of-view. The gender divide is a painfully evident tactic for a network to boost its 'sex appeal' without threatening the jocular boys club in the booth or the studio. When there's another opening in the booth for a sports analyst, will Erin Andrews be up for the promotion? Despite her hard work, talent, and clear love of the game, I'm skeptical. In fact, I doubt ESPN will even consider it. </p>
<p>Soon after the news broke of the illegal video of Andrews, Eric Deggans of the <i>St. Petersburg Times</i> asked: &quot;<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/article1021500.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Just what role does the industry play in the mass marketing of female journalists' sex appeal</a>?&quot; </p>
<blockquote><p>&quot;I think all of us in the media have fostered this culture, in the hopes of driving more people to our networks, our columns and our radio shows,&quot; said CBS Sports reporter Lesley Visser, a 30-year veteran recently named No. 1 female sportscaster by the American Sportscasters Association, in an e-mail to the St. Petersburg Times.</p>
<p>&quot;Every woman in this business has dealt with unwanted attention, but this culture makes it more difficult,&quot; Visser added. ...</p>
<p>In the way only a juicy media scandal can, coverage of the sizzling controversy has burned some news outlets. The New York Post and CBS News in particular have taken criticism for showing images from the video, earning their own audience spikes while ruthlessly re-victimizing the sportscaster. ...</p>
<p>... All of this feels like an unfortunate pile on, as critics use Andrews' misfortune as an excuse to sort through issues the sports media world should have confronted long ago. She has been reduced to a symbol of the tension between the still-limited opportunities for female sports journalists and the way the sports world has responded to them. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The twisted treatment of female sportscasters extends to the general media coverage of the Andrews case. As Salon's Broadsheet <a href="http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/feature/2009/12/16/erin_andrews_stalker/index.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">points out</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>How could anybody treat a woman who'd been the victim of a stalker as complicit the crime? Well, maybe it has something to do with the fact that the 31-year-old Andrews is blonde and pretty, a fact that rarely goes unremarked -- or uneditorialized -- in the media coverage of her case.</p>
<p>Yesterday &quot;The New York Post,&quot; ever a bastion of taste and restraint, headlined the story as &quot;Andrews Bares Her Torment&quot; and made sure to note Andrews's &quot;four-inch heels.&quot; &quot;The New York Daily News,&quot; perhaps rusty on their Greek mythology, referred to the &quot;ESPN beauty&quot; meanwhile as a &quot;sportscasting siren.&quot; And we're sure she'll be thrilled to know she's in the running for &quot;Playboy's Sexiest Sportscaster of 2009,&quot; especially after earning that top honor <a href="http://www.theinsider.com/news/2571490_Erin_Andrews_Playboy_Sexiest_Sportscaster_Pics" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">last year</a>. Oh, and as Andrews noted yesterday, the videos are still out there.</p>
<p>But the field is not entirely riddled with journalistic peeping Toms. SI.com did <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/more/wires/12/15/2080.ap.us.espn.andrews.video.optional.0626/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">a fine job</a> yesterday of describing Andrews's emotional courtroom plea without leering at her. Between Barrett's forthcoming sentencing and Andrews's ongoing campaign for <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/hotelcheckin/post/2009/12/espns-erin-andrews-plans-for-after-accused-stalker-michael-david-barrett-pleads-guilty/1?loc=interstitialskip" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">better hotel security,</a> there will no doubt be ample further opportunities for reporters to test their ability to cover stories of voyeurism without stooping to ogle their subjects themselves.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here's hoping. It's up to us feminists and sports fans to demand fair and respectful media treatment of Andrews, in both coverage of this particular stalking case and in general. It is the very least that she deserves ... and, as she indicates, this is our opportunity to change the trajectory of sexist treatment of female sports reporters, current and future. While the tactics of objectification don't permit it, they have a point-of-view, they have rights, and it <i>matters</i>. </p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b>About the Images:</b></p>
<blockquote><p>First Image: ESPN's Erin Andrews with her attorney, after yesterday's hearing. (AP)Second Image: Michael David Barrett pled guilty to the interstate stalking of ESPN's Erin Andrews. (AP) </p>
</blockquote>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/illinois-man-pleads-guilty-to-stalking-espns-erin-andrews#commentsespnlawmediamisogynynews mediasexismsexual harassmentsportsstalkingwomen in newsSportsWed, 16 Dec 2009 17:09:54 +0000Anna Clark2644 at http://bitchmagazine.org